A nearly fatal hike for an ex-S.A. couple

Two former San Antonio Express-News staffers were lost for several days in the Big Bend area last week after they were forced off the national park by the federal government shutdown.

As reporter Cathy Frye, 43, of North Little Rock, Ark., and her husband, photographer Rick McFarland, 58, were leaving the park Oct. 1, an official at the national park suggested that they relocate to the neighboring 300,000-acre Big Bend Ranch State Park to continue their vacation.

The official gave them a map of the state park, but the couple was unfamiliar with the map and got lost. McFarland eventually made his way back to his truck and sought help for his wife, but was unable to lead a search group back to where he left her. Frye was located Sunday in a valley by a Border Patrol helicopter.

She was suffering from severe dehydration and exposure. The couple, who worked at the Express-News for a year beginning in September 2004, have been annual regulars to the national park, which has more accidents and fatalities than the state park, according to Mike Cox, a spokesman with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Cox said they likely needed a better map to navigate the state park.

“The map they received was small scale,” Cox said. “They needed one with more detail.”

The couple arrived at the state park Wednesday and set up their campsite, then biked to Puerte Chilicote Trail to begin a hike, but eventually got lost. Out of water and tired, they spent that night at a scenic overlook near Mexicano Falls.

The next day, they hiked into Arroyo Mexicano and soon became diverted into territory they weren't equipped for.

Not having enough water played a big part in the couple's dangerous odyssey. Cox said the rule of thumb for hikers is to carry a gallon of water for each day they hike. The couple had only a few bottles of water between them.

At one point, Frye took off a fanny pack she was carrying that contained food and forgot to pick it up as she and her husband moved on, TPWD said.

They eventually found a live spring that allowed them to refill their water supplies and wash cactus thorns from their clothing.

Later that evening, temperatures dropped in the park and without a way to build a fire the couple's wet clothing brought on hypothermia.

Cox said that springs aren't a rarity in the park. Even in drought conditions they still exist. Finding them is the lucky part.

By Friday, Frye was suffering from exhaustion and couldn't continue. Her husband left her near Howard Ranch to search for help.

He finally found his truck and drove to park headquarters to alert emergency officials. But Frye had moved from the point her husband last saw her.